Improvement in presses



kept taut.

" UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

STEPHEN J. AUSTIN, OF FREEPORT, MAINE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 46,205, dated February 7, 1865.

To afZZ whom t may concer/c.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN J. AUsTIN, of Freeport, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved -Press; land I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others 'size of said box can be increased or decreased at pleasure. The movable side is fitted in suitable grooves, and it connects by ropes or chains with a windlass in such a manner that by turning said windlass in one direction the movable side is thrown open, and by turning it in the opposite direction said side is closed up, and by the peculiar arrangement of the windlass and rollers the chains are always The follower is operated by two levers or lifters, the inner ends of which are hinged to the follower and connected to ropes or chains which extend over pulleys secured to the frame, and thence down and under pulleys near the inner ends and over pulleys in the outer ends of said levers, and to a windlass or windlasses in such a manner that by lthe action of those branches of the ropes or chains extending from the inner fends of the levers over the pulleys secured to the frame of the press said levers are started from a horizontal position without requiring any attention from the operator. In order to take up the extra amount of chain without embarrassing the operation of the press, the chains used for operating the levers and the follower extend over two drums, which are geared together, so that they rotate in opposite directions, and that the length of chain required to give the press sufficient power to do the work may be taken up without difficulty.

A represents a frame made of strong timber, or of any other suitable material. This frame supports the press-box B, in which the material to be compressed is exposed to the follower C. One side, a, of the press-box is movable. It is secured to a carriage, c, which slides back and forth in suitable guideways, b, which are secured in the frame A, and the position of said carriage and of the movable side of the pressbox is governed by ropes or chains d d c. The ropes d are secured to the ends of uprightsj' of the carriage, and they extend over pulleys g gh 7i t', and to a windlass, j, on whichthcy wind, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawin The rope c is secured with one end to the central cross-bar, 7c, of the carriage c, and it extends over a rod or roller, Z, in the frame A, and under a pulley, m, to the win dlass j. The ropes d d wind on'the windlass in one and the rope c in the opposite direction, and by turning said windlass in the direction ofthe arrow (marked thereon in Fig. 2 of the drawings) the rope c is wound up, and the strain exerted on this rope causes the movable side and carriage to move in the direction of the arrows (marked near the same in said fig ure.) At the same time the ropes d d unwind from the windlass to allow the carriage to recede. In turning the windlass in 4the opposite direction to the arrow (marked thereon in Fig. 2 of the drawings) the ropes d d wind upon thesame, while the rope c unwinds and the movable side of the press-box closes up. By this arrangement the introduction of the article to be pressed into the press-box and the is firmly secured to a rigid cross-bar, p 1)',

which forms portions of the frame A. Thence they extend through pulleys q q', which are seA cured to the pivots, connecting the levers D D with the brackets n, and up over pulleys I" r', which are suspended from the top crossbars of the frame A, thence down under pulleys S S', secured to the levers D D', near their inner ends, and over pulleys t i in theloose ends of said levers, and lfinally to drums au, to which their outer ends are irmly secured, as clearly shown in Fig. l. -The drums a a are geared together and to a driving-shaft, fu, so that by imparting to said shaft,a rotary motion in the properdirection the drums revolve in opposite directions, and a strain is exerted on the chains o o', whereby the follower is raised or permitted to descend. By using two drums, u u', instead of one, I am enabled to take up the length of chain required to give the press sufficient power to do the work in hand, the pressure requiredin pressing hay, for` instance, being fully equal to the inverse ratio of the Square of the fraction denoting` the relative size of the bale. Thus if a certain power is required to reduce a bale to a given size, four (4) times the power is necessary to reduce the bale to one-half (l) that size, nine (9) times the power to reduce it to one-third said size, and so on. At the beginning of the pressing operation the follower is clear down, and the levers D D are in a horizontal position, or nearly so. From this position the levers can not be started without raising theirinner ends up a certain distance, and ordinary presses of a similar construction to minelabor under the difiiculty that the levers or lifters have either to be lifted up by hand at the beginning ofthe operation, or they cannot be allowed to come down to a horizontal position, and the press has to be made so much higher. This diiliculty is obviated by running the chains over pulleys r rin the top of the press, and through under pulleys q q', secured to the inner ends of levers, as above described. By this arrangement the strain on the'chains or ropes raises the inner ends of the levers from ahorizontal to an inclined position, and the labor of operating the press is thereby considerably reduced.

By a press of this construction a quantity of hay or other similar material-such as generally used for one balewcan be reduced into a bale of half the usual lbulk in'half the usual time, producing a saving in two respectsviz., in the cost of transportation and also inthe expense of pressing.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent* ll. The expanding press-box B, constructed substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The ropes orchains d d e, pulleys g g' h h i m, and windlass j, applied in combination with the movable side a of the press-box B, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set forth.

V3. The pulleys q g. r r', s s, and tt', applied in combination with the chains o o, levers D D, and follower C, in the manner and for the purpose substantially as shown and described.

4. The double drums u u', in combination with the chains o o', levers D D', and follower G, applied and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

STEPHEN J. AUSTIN.

Vitnesses:

WM. G. Sniiw, S. VINEs. 

